Apparel belt



J. MOUILBAU 2,030,018

APPAREL BELT Filed March 14, 1955 Fl g.

Patented Feb. 4, 1936 UNrrs as.

non

APPAREL BELT Application March 14, 1935, Serial No. 11,144 In France February 20, 1935 4 Claims.

The pre-sent invention relates to apparel belts: and has for its primary object to provide a belt of that kind possessing a substantial amount of resilience or elasticity dueto improved means so 5 located on both sides of the ends of the belt as to distribute its resilient effect over two symmetrical portions of the substantially inextensible body of the belt and so arranged as to be invisible when the belt girdles the users waist in operative position.

, A further object of the invention is to provide an apparel belt wherein the elastic elements which impart resilience thereto are removably fastened to a pair of buckles connectible to each other so that the mounting or dismounting of said buckles for any purpose during the life of the belt can be readily effected.

-A still further object of the invention is `toi provide an apparel belt wherein the buckles fastened to the respective elastic elements of the belt partake in the concealment of said elements and in the smartness of the belt over' the meeting ends of which they are slidably mounted.

Still a further object of the invention` is to pro- 251vide an apparel belt which notwithstanding the presence of a pair of elastic elements arranged symmetrically on both sides of the junction of its meeting ends has a thickness not appreciably larger than that of an ordinary apparel belt and is just as comfortable and light to wear as the latter.

Another object still of the invention is to provide an apparel belt which, due to the symmetrical location of its elastic elements, does not tend to creep along the users waist since each of said elements takes the same amount of the tensile stresses that exert themselves on the belt and the reactions of both elements balance each other.

40 With these and such other objects in` view as will incidentally appear hereafter, the invention comprises the novel construction and combination of parts that will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing which forms a part of the present disclosure and wherein is shown, by way of example, a convenient embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:-

Figure l is a perspective view showing a fragment of the improved apparel belt, assuming one of its ends to be seen from its inner side tc clearly show one of the` elasticelements.

` Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the meeting and overlapping ends of the belt, seen from their outer sides, assuming the two buckles slidably mounted thereon to be coupled or linked to each other.

The body of the belt as shown comprises a girdle strap which may be made conveniently of a substantially ineXtensible substance such as leather or fabric.

To the inner face of the ends I, 2 of the girdle strap are stitched at 3 and 6 a pair of tabs 5, 6 to each of which is in turn stitched one of the ends of a pair ofv elastic bands l, 8. Said bands may comprise for instance, as shown, strips of elastic woven fabric or more generally any strip-like elements possessing resiliency or elasticity.

The elastic bands 1, 8 are secured at their ends opposite to the ends stitched to the tabs 5, 6 to a pair of equally-sized buckles 9, Ill made of any suitable rigid metal, alloy or other material. Conveniently, said buckles are vprovided with a bellcrank lever II or I2 pivotally connected to a lug-shaped extension I3 or le of each buckle. The levers I I, I2 have unequal legs and saw teeth IIa on the free edge of their shorter legs. Said teeth are anchored removably into the free ends of the elastic bands l, 8 when the levers. II, I2 occupy the positions as shown in Figure 1 in connection with the lever I I. Thus each elastic band may be easily disconnected from the corresponding buckle.

Each buckle comprises a fore Wall slightly wider than the Width of the girdle strap of the belt, cross walls I5, I5 from which the lug-shaped extensions !3, Ill are formed and a rear wall I'I. Small pins I8 are held in corresponding slots of said cross walls. Intermediate the fore and rear walls of each buckle is provided an unobstructed channel slightly wider than the width of the strap so that the buckle can slide along said strap.

When in operative position, the ends Ia, 2a of the girdle strap may overlap each other, as shown in Figure 2, or may be positioned end to end. This is immaterial for the invention provides that the buckles can slide on the ends of the girdle strap.

The ends Ia, 2a of the girdle strap advantageously have a tapering outline, as shown, and are provided with stiffeners 24 encased therein and adapted to prevent them from becoming wrinkled or crumpled and accordingly to permit them to slide through the buckles more easily. Said stilieners may be made of metal, whalebone, horn or like suitable substance.

The buckles as shown have tapering outlines and are coupled to each other removably by a pair of sockets I9, 2@ and by a linking yoke 2| having the shape of an inverted U terminally fitted with bent-in beads 22, 23 which p-revent undue disengagement of the yoke 2l out of the sockets I9, 2Q while the belt is being worn. Advantageously the yoke 2| may be securely fastened to the one or the other of the sockets I9, 20, for instance soldered or welded thereto.

It will be seen that the symmetrically arranged buckles 9, IU can freely slide towards each other along the ends la, 2a of the girdle strap under the control or antagonism of the elastic bands '1, 8 responsive to the stretching stresses exerted upon the belt when it is used, for instance when the wearer practises sports or makes such corporal movements as will increase the size of his waist. Conversely, as soon as said stretching stresses cease to exercise themselves, the buckles 9, Il) slide back along the ends la, 2a of the strap away from each other and resume their inoperative position.

The size of the strap and elastic bands l, 8 may be such that when normally worn said bands are stretched to a certain extent so that the strap is tightened around the users waist and the belt cannot fall.

It will be appreciated that when the belt is worn by the user, it looks like an ordinary belt having no elastic bands in its structure and is not appreciably thicker than such a belt and that, moreover, said bands are entirely concealed behind the strap and buckles.

The constructional details might vary without departing from the scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:-

1. An apparel belt comprising, in combination, a girdle strap, a pair of hollow metal buckles through which the respective end portions of the strap are freely slidable, said buckles having associated fasteners, clamping levers pivotally carried by the buckles, and a pair of elastic band elements respectively secured adjustably at one end to the buckle levers inwardly of the positions where the strap end portions engage through the buckles and at the other end to the inner face of said strap end portions.

2. An apparel belt comprising, in combination, a. girdle strap, a pair of rigid buckles having interengaging fasteners, each buckle having spaced fore and rear walls connected by cross walls and.

dening a channel slightly wider than the width of the strap end portions and a toothed lever pivotally connected to the cross walls of the buckles, the buckle channels freely receiving the respective end portions of the strap, and a pair of elastic band elements respectively held removably at one end by the toothed levers of the buckles and secured at their opposite end to the inner faces of the strap end portions.

3. An apparel belt comprising, in combination, a girdle strap, a pair of rigid equally sized buckles having inter-engaging fasteners, each buckle having spaced fore and rear walls connected by upper and lower cross walls and defining a channel wider than the width of the strap end portions, lug extensions on the cross walls, and a bellcrank lever pivotally connected to the lu'g extensions of said cross walls, said lever having unequal legs and teeth on the free edge of its shorter leg, the buckle channels slidably encasing the respective end portions of the strap, and' a pair of elastic bands respectively held removably at one of their ends between the toothed edges of the buckle levers and buckle rear walls and secured at their opposite ends to the inner faces of the strap end portions.

4. An apparel belt comprising, in combination-l an inextensible girdle strap having tapering end portions and stiiieners encased therein, a pair of equally sized buckles having end sockets and a yoke engaging and linking said sockets, each buckle having spaced fore and rear walls con nected by cross walls and dening an unobstructed. channel slightly wider than the width of the strap end portions, lug extensions on the crosswalls, and a bellcrank lever pivotally connected to the lug-shaped extensions of said cross walls, said lever having unequal legs and saw teeth on the free edge of its shorter leg, the buckle channels slidably receiving the respective end portions of the strap, and a pair of elastic woven bands respectively held removably at one of their ends between the toothed edges of the buckle levers and buckle rear walls and stitched at theirr opposite ends to the inner faces of the strap end portions.

JULES MOUILBAU. 

